Downtempo

Spectoral is the artist name of Andrew Bitto — an independent, solo singer-songwriter and producer of downtempo beats with reflective and emotional lyrics. His music, while loosely grounded in downbeat electronica, is often soulful, with an alt-pop feel, laden with relatable, lyrical honesty. Bitto is based in Melbourne, Australia....

Fyfe has today unveiled ‘In Colour’, taken from the ‘Stronger’ EP: his first taste of new material since last year’s acclaimed debut album, ‘Control’. Having surpassed 10 million plays on Spotify, sold out a European tour – including the likes of London’s Oslo and Paris’s La Maroquinerie – and...

The ‘Follow’ EP is a collaboration between singer/ songwriter SEARLS and electronic producer LJ LOOPER. It is set for release on June 17th. SEARLS, originally from Ireland, is a musician who takes older influences from the likes of Brian Eno, Kraftwerk and blends contemporary acts such as James Blake,...

London based electronically fused pop artist Lecaudé (pron. ‘Le-co-day’) is set to reveal his second single of 2016. ‘Powder Blue’ is the brand new offering from the Circles EP (due for release 3.6.16). This follows on from the highly successful release of the eponymous lead single in February, which...

Australian duo Lyon Apprentice have returned with their exhilarating new track, ‘Alice’ – a minimalist, dream-pop tribute to a longtime friend and the husband she lost. The single was recorded in the brothers’ new home studio in Manchester and mixed/produced by singer/guitarist Adam Lyons. ‘Alice’ sees Lyon Apprentice shuffling...

Morly embodies the idea that one person can do it all. The Minnesota-born singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer emerged onto the music scene a year ago with a single on Ryan Hemsworth’s widely respected Secret Songs platform. She quickly caught the attention of NY label Cascine who released her mostly instrumental, debut EP, In Defense of My Muse, in August...

London-based singer Frenchie has unveiled her latest helping of jazz-infused sophistication under the guise of The Naked Eye, entitled ‘River Of No Return’. Following previous singles ‘Embrace Me’ and ‘Sweet Boy’, which garnered strong support from a selection of the top Hype Machine listed blogs and BBC Introducing, this...

Long-lost childhood friends Josh Smith (vocals, guitar, electronics, production) and Josh Freed (beats, electronics, production) reconnected in 2014 and not long after released their debut single ‘Waves’. Recording in disused city spaces and mixing in the backseats of cars, the Window EP followed in May 2015, a six song collection ricocheting effortlessly between hip hop,...

The Bells EP 2 marks the second release from Berlin artist and producer, JATA. The EP’s lead track Ebony is another prime example of the confident and infectious songwriting employed by JATA, a melting-pot of soulful beat-lead pop that draws on the breadth of his time spent suiting studying...

Lontalius (New Zealand’s Eddie Johnston) has shared his new single and video for ‘All I Wanna Say‘. Lontalius has also announced his signing to Partisan Records in the US and Pod / Inertia Music in Australia & New Zealand. His debut full-length will be released in early 2016. Described by i-D as “beautiful, delicate, tender”, the...

Last month, Majical Cloudz announced the follow up to their critically acclaimed 2013 release, Impersonator, with the song ‘Silver Car Crash’ off the upcoming sophomore album Are You Alone? They now share album title track, an upbeat take on modern hopeless romanticism. The song is described by frontman Devon...

TOWER recently made their introduction with ‘Teenage Miracle’, to be released October 2 via ears to the ground boutique label B3SCI Records (responsible for introducing Jungle, Aquilo and Oceaán among others). The track was premiered via Zane Lowe on Beats1, and was also featured on Spotify’s prestigious New Music Playlist. The LA duo now unveil single...

Following a summer of festivals around Europe, Aquilo are excited to announced their new single, ‘Good Girl’ – due for release on Island Records on November 6th. Following the release of the ‘Calling Me’ EP earlier in the year, ‘Good Girl’ sees Aquilo take a yet another confident step...

The intriguing New Pharaohs have unveiled their gorgeous debut single ‘Empire’, due for release on October 2nd. The song premiered at The Line Of Best Fit who said, “Tinged with a sense of the melancholy, ‘Empire’ is a bittersweet venture across soaring tapestries of sound. Maya Marie’s heartfelt vocals...

Earlier in the year SG Lewis announced the release of his debut EP along with new track ‘No Less’, teaming up with Louis Mattrs contributing vocals. In another exemplary display of the entrancing and measured artistry employed by SG, he’s now ready to reveal the EP’s title track. This...

Fine Print release their self-titled debut EP on August 28th via B3SCI Records. Following three accalimed singles ‘About You’, ‘Can’t Lie’, and ‘Tell Me’, the duo shares the final track ‘Really’ “for those days when you look in the mirror and have a stern word with yourself”. All four tracks...

Southport-raised, London-based singer, songwriter and producer Holly ‘Låpsley’ Fletcher has today revealed her brand new song ‘Hurt Me’, taken from her forthcoming XL Recordings single ‘Hurt Me / Burn’. Premiered as Annie Mac’s ‘Hottest Record In The World’ on Radio 1 last night, ‘Hurt Me’ was recorded this summer at...

Cash+David are streaming a new single, ‘Pains 4 U’, via The Fader. Featuring a guest verse from rising Atlanta MC Rome Fortune, the track is due for release through Columbia Records on October 30 2015. ‘Pains 4 U’ follows previous single ‘X’, which saw Cash+David collaborate with London video production collective Figure (Atoms For...

Elderbrook, aka prodigious 21-year-old London songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer Alexander Kotz is pleased to unveil a new track from his forthcoming EP Travel Slow, due August 21st on Black Butter. Showcasing his songwriting and production chops in all their idiosyncratic prowess, ‘Good Enough‘ makes nuanced use of dynamics to evoke The xx or...

Majical Cloudz return with their eagerly anticipated sophomore studio album Are You Alone?, released October 16th on Matador Records. A first offering from the album can be heard now with single ‘Silver Car Crash’. In 2013, the Canadian duo comprised of principle songwriter and vocalist Devon Welsh and producer...

It’s been four years since Jamie Woon released his debut album Mirrorwriting. We can now reveal the first single taken from a soon to be announced new album due for release later in 2015 on new label home, PMR Records. It was Pharrell who introduced Sharpness to the world on his Beats...

Following two acclaimed singles ’About You’ and ‘Can’t Lie’, East London’s Fine Print is excited to share a new track ‘Tell Me’. It is the perfect example of the duo’s ability for pop songwriting, showcasing Fine Print’s falsetto with a simple piano accompaniment. Fine Print is set to release their self-titled...

Fresh off the back of her second single’s whirlwind success, London-based newcomer PILLARS has now unveiled a new, brooding number in the form of ‘You Got This’. The track perfectly slots into her growing collection of ambient electronica and adds another piece to the puzzle as we gradually reveal...

Elderbrook returns with new EP for Black Butter. The prodigious 21-year-old London songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer (real name Alexander Kotz) will release Travel Slow on August 21st. Travel Slow delves further into Elderbrooke’s unique work and mind across three inventive tracks. First single ‘Be There Soon’ layers a...

Previously released as a demo, Fine Print shares a fresh edition of their track ‘Can’t Lie‘ mixed by Dan Carey (Tame Impala, Hot Chip) today. “Before we started on ‘Can’t Lie’ we had been having quite long conversations about the hip hop we loved,” says the duo. “Especially the dusty sounding productions from people...

Brand new Brighton based duo MIAMIGO last Friday announced their debut London shows alongside a captivating mixtape of sultry inspirations that delve a little further into the minds of the band. Today MIAMIGO premiere the stunning new visual to ‘Irreversible’, a track taken from their critically acclaimed debut EP...

Inspired by the production work of Charles Stepney and the magic of intimacy that you find in the work of Terry Callier, Scott Walker & Devendra Banhart, the ’Family Stone EP’ was written & produced by Alex in his tiny home studio in South London. The four tracks are mixed by Neil Comber...

Carving her niche in the young Swiss jazz scene, Marena Whitcher from Zurich is a vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and composer. Her excursions into every imaginable and inconceivable vocal dimension are eccentric and theatrical. Yet in spite of all her marvellous excesses, twenty four year old Marena’s attention is equally devoted...

Marking it’s release this week on London’s Rhythm Section International and Sydney’s Plastic World, Retiree share the final instalment of the three part video series accompanying their new EP This Place. Filmed in London, the video was directed by Viola Black and sees ritualistic dance routines and vampiric lounging taking place in a...

Amidst the dreary short days and long dark nights of January, a duo going by the rather misleading one-man’s name of Nick Klein made a new track available online in form of ‘Paralyzed’. A shining light of infectious, soulful warmth that washed away the shadows of winter and ushered...

SG Lewis announces his new EP along with opening single ‘No Less’. Entrancing and measured, SG’s meticulous production is partnered with newcomer Louis Mattrs contributing vocals, taking the track even further into the soulful territory and exemplifying the young producer’s ability to create arresting electronic music. With support coming...

Melding the ambient soundscapes and fractured electronica of late 90’s garage with warmly spellbinding melodic incantations and an air of post-millennial unease, I’lls (pronounced ‘Isles’) have been quietly winning over a growing league of fans, fellow musicians and tastemakers. Fresh from announcing their new EP ‘Can I Go With...

Today, the NYC-by-way-of-Canada duo known as Bob Moses premiered their brand new track titled ‘Talk’ on Noisey.com. The sultry summer smash is now available on iTunes and Spotify and serves as an exciting taste of what’s to come from the talented producer/DJ duo. Last year the duo signed to...

London’s Rhythm Section International and Sydney’s Plastic World team up to present This Place EP by Retiree. Following its announcement with EP opener ‘Gundagai’, next up is second track ‘Heard You’re Doing Well‘. Building from soft pads and a reclining drum machine bossa nova, it moves elegantly into a...

Charlotte OC has released a video to accompany the release of upcoming single ‘On & On’. Directed by Vicky Lawton (Creative Director of Hunger), the video captures Charlotte’s essence as a dark, powerful and emotive performer. ‘On & On’, produced by Rich Cooper, is taken from Charlotte’s ‘Burning’ EP which...

Slow forward to summer 2015 and Dornik is about to fulfil that potential with the release of his first proper single ‘Drive’ and, later in the year, release his stunning self-written, self-produced, self-titled debut album ‘Dornik’ via PMR Records. And in case you are wondering… his mother’s name is Dorothy...

‘Open Book‘ is the next single lifted from the new José González album ‘Vestiges & Claws‘. The video – directed by Mikel Cee Karlsson – is the second part in a two-part series. The first part was a video from Calexico, for their single ‘Falling From The Sky’. Of the video, director Karlsson said: “The ideas for...

‘Dragonfly‘ marks the next chapter in Chris Malinchak’s story, one that also signifies a name change that will see him simply go by ‘Malinchak’. The stripping back of his name exemplifies the same ethos employed in his approach to producing and as with new track Dragonfly, Malinchak’s calculated subtleties...

‘Come Over’ is the lead track from the new ‘Family Stone’ EP from 19-year-old South London producer/multi-instrumentalist, Alex Burey. Drawing comparisons to the likes of Devendra Banhart & Scott Walker, ‘Come Over’ is streaming now on Soundcloud. The ‘Family Stone’ EP is released on the 13th June 2015. It will follow...

Rhodes releases his eagerly anticipated debut album ‘Wishes’ September 4th on Rhodes Music / Ministry of Sound. Several of the brooding, slow-build songs that featured on Rhodes’ early EPs appear on the new album. Including the brilliant ‘Breathe’, the yearning ‘Raise Your Love’, and the upbeat ‘Turning Back Around’....

Tourist is pleased to announce details of a brand new single ‘Holding On’ – due on Polydor on May 24th and available to pre-order on iTunes. It premiered last night as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World. ‘Holding On’ looks set to take a strident step forward for...

Fort Romeau releases his new album ‘Insides‘ via Ghostly on March 30th. The long-player takes Fort’s theme of “slow listening” to its core with only one track clocking below the six minute mark. Inspired by his time spent DJing in clubs such as Plastic People, Robert Johnson and Berghain, new...

It seems as though Jai Paul has become the Disclosure of downtempo/electronic musical analogies. Demo Taped has released an almost carbon-copy of Paul’s, what is now, seminal tune: ‘Jasmine‘. Thing is, though, who actually cares? Until the sound gets rinsed to aggravating levels of ubiquity, anyone who seems to mimic...

Rhodes is back with his best single to date. Fulfilling the potential shown on his first three EP’s ‘Raise Your Love’, ‘Morning’ and ‘Home’, the first single ‘Turning Back Around’, cut from his eagerly anticipated debut album, is released on Ministry of Sound April 5th. ‘Turning Back Around’ sees...

Over the past six-months, Oh Wonder have gone from zero recognition to being one of the most sought-after unsigned acts in the world. Borne from a rather clever marketing ploy, they’ve been releasing just one song every month and their music hasn’t shown any sign of deteriorating. ‘Lose It’...

L.A’s dreamy pop duo put out ‘Stacks On Stacks’ around a month ago with no avail. I’m somewhat surprised at its lack of ubiquity considering the amount of originality this song exhibits. It’s not everyday you hear this type of music pulled off to a very high standard but Carolyn...

The delicacy of ‘Bullets’ by DREWXHILL is something to behold. The vocals are wrapped in a sense of solitude which transcends into a glossy bedroom aesthetic that the artist seems to have absolutely nailed. ‘Bullets’ is a penchant for escapism and the rather beatless terrain upon which the vocalists upper...

There’s an underlying attitude to INCA’s music that makes you think that FKA Twig’s style of music really did have legs beyond ‘LP1’. Its sparse landscape and hazy vocals concoct a psychedelic level of synergy that would make anyone think that this is an artist with a global following;...

arlier this week we brought you the stunning debut track from the exciting Swiss six piece Len Sander. The band has now announced their first official single ‘Ungrowing’ which is to be released 20/02/15 and precedes the album ‘Phantom Garden’ which is available on the 23rd of Feb. The...

January has been a month of debut artists coming in full flight and it’s been great to see that in no way has this meant a drop in quality. ‘Pain Goes Away’, from Brooklyn residents ‘Refs’ comes equipped with hearty melodies and vocals that ooze seductivity. I think this...

‘Black Bryony’ is a stunning debut from Swiss-based singer/producer, Len Sander. Its dark and broody qualities marry her vocals exceptionally well adding to the overall feel of macabre (in the best possible way). Recently, I’ve come to find a number of artists who seem to think that adding a...

‘Give It Up’ is the debut single from Jimmy Napes – the man behind the successes of Sam Smith and Disclosure. He’s taken a back seat within the music industry over the years but has finally decided to go his own way. ‘Give It Up’, forthcoming on Disclosure’s very...

et’s not take anything away from Thom Yorke but William Arcane’s production, voice and songwriting is how I’d imagine Thom would have liked his solo work to sound. William’s whispery upper register is astounding and the boy can write fucking a good melody. His music skirts the sound I’m really into...

‘Everything’ is a blockbuster debut by Rozes and it’s clear that she has heaps of experience under her belt. This is Rozes introducing herself as an electronic project with a strong emotional undercurrent, and the music itself hints at this kind of heavy-handed heartstring-tugging. New artists are sometimes relatively...